My First Mock – And The Vikings Select…

The first mock draft of the offseason is really just a shot in the dark. There are so many unknowns at this point. Who’s actually going to declare at the draft? What will their combine performance be? What kind of scandals/off-the-field issues will take place?

But still, putting these things together are fun. It starts to familiarize everybody with a lot of the names we’ll be hearing for the new few months. It gets us acquainted with some of the opportunities the Vikings may have when they are on the clock for the first time at #23 (unless they trade up, of course). They serve as a starting point for discussion regarding what the Vikings should try and do in the draft.

All around, they’re just a good time.

By the time Adam and I put out our final drafts for 2012 though, I’d say we both did pretty good. As Adam mentioned in his mock draft, we both held strong to our belief that the Vikings would select Matt Kalil with their first pick (despite the endless amounts of rumors floating around up to the very start of the draft). We didn’t guess spot-on for a lot of teams (I had maybe 6-7?) but, for the most part, the draft panned out a lot like we thought it would.

Who knows what the Vikings are going to do this time. Picking at #23 is going to make things a lot more difficult to guess. When you are at #3 (or #4 if you trade down…) it’s a lot easier to surmise what the team is going to do. There are only two other players taken before it’s your turn. In our case this year, there are 22 players that will be taken off the board before we get our turn to select. Talk about endless possibilities.

The first thing you’ll probably notice is that I have more quarterbacks being selected in the first round than most people do. In fact, I have two quarterbacks going in the top ten. (Mel Kiper doesn’t even have a quarterback going in the first round!) Sure, a lot of people are going to tell you that there is not a quarterback in this year’s draft class worth the number one pick. Or a top five pick. Or a top ten pick even. I’d agree with them looking at it objectively. But the truth is, a lot of these teams that are desperate for an answer at the quarterback position are not looking at it objectively. They’re looking at it hopefully. They are taking a chance and hoping that the guy they like will be the answer and the future for their franchise. And just like the Vikings did by selecting Christian Ponder much earlier than everybody thought, I believe there are a couple of teams that are so desperate for someone at the quarterback position, they will use their first round pick to try and find that center piece for their offense.

The second thing you’ll notice… Well, let’s just be honest. You scrolled straight to see who the Vikings selected. Okay, let’s talk about my selection for the Vikings.

So, like Adam, I have also selected a wide receiver for the Vikings with their first pick. I have to be really up front and honest with you, I’m not really happy about the selection and was pretty torn when making it.

Here’s the deal: I think there are 4-5 receivers the Vikings could take at this spot that would almost be [hypothetically] interchangeable. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I’m not sure that there is a true #1 receiver in this year’s draft class – a sure thing. Somebody who can start day 1 and instantly provide the Vikes with another weapon and someone who can stretch the field. The problem is that, much like the quarterback situation outlined above, I think teams are also more likely to reach on players that they think can somehow provide a spark for them offensively – the playmakers.

In the case of my mock draft, I think there are some guys the Vikings could get better value for at positions of need but we just need a wide receiver so dang bad. There are two or three defensive tackles I think would be great for the Vikings at this spot. But, realistically, I don’t think the Vikings leave the first round without a wide receiver.

But let’s talk about Terrance Williams for a second because I don’t want to sell him short, I do like what I see from him.

Terrance Williams is a guy who, at 6’2″ and 205 pounds, plays physical and can go up and make a play on the ball. He isn’t blazing fast but he is a straight-line runner who can stretch the field and use his larger frame to overpower and shield off defenders. One of Williams biggest concerns is his route running (as he primarily ran go routes) and his tendency to try and catch the ball with his body. Those shortcomings are coachable though and Williams has the physical traits to potentially be the type of threat the Vikings could use.

While this is the first wide receiver I have the Vikings taking in my mock draft, I do not think it will be the last. I would not be surprised if the Vikings took upwards of three wide receivers this year. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if we are looking at a radically different receiving corp in 2013. In fact, I suspect it.

Make sure to check out the scouting video of Terrance Williams below. Also, here are a couple of names I toyed with putting in that #23 spot instead of Williams:

Brett Anderson (Founder) is a passionate Viking fan hailing from Sin City, Las Vegas. He can remember, as a child, scraping his knee on the playground and his friends being completely shocked by the purple blood trickling from the wound. When Brett isn't scouring the Internet for some semblance of Vikings news, he enjoys blindly putting money on them to beat whoever their opponent may be, and daydreams about being their next Tight End. Brett graduated from UNLV with a degree in Architecture and specializes in web/graphic design; he hopes to provide this site’s visitors with the best Vikings experience on the net.

I think vikings should adress WR in the 2nd round.. There isn’t really a big difference from the best 5 to the next 5. I think like you said, there is better talent to be found in the 1st round. I really think vikings could go LB in the first round, if somebody fits our scheme aswell as BPA

Kinda agree with Malte,
Sounds like there is no #1 and if there was, We wouldn’t be getting him with the 23rd pick.
And if Wr is pretty close and there a quite afew Go for it in the 2nd round…
Go DT or LB with 1st pick BPA.

I agree with you guys… I said the same thing and I think they may get a better value going DT, LB or CB. BUT, this is what I think the team will do on draft day. And I don’t think they leave the first round without a WR.

I hope they don’t pull the trigger on a WR simply just to take a WR in the first round.. Go with BPA, with in mind what your needs are. No need to take a DE / QB / RB / TE / OT in the first round off course..

Those first two catches on the youtube clip are exactly why I like Patterson better (who Brett has going #12)… Williams goes to the turf VERY easy after the catch. Patterson seems tougher after the catch, with his legs never stopping.

I think Patterson is kind of a hit / miss prospect.. I doubt he will be going and get a lot of yards early in the year, but perhaps be better later.. He is a bit raw and not that developed in route running
What I think vikings needs the most is a very reliable WR who can get open consistenly. Perhaps Robert Woods could be a choice in the 2nd round if he’s still on the board by then. – He will be better than he was this last year because he played with an ankle injury. he isn’t the fastest or biggest, but a good route runner and can get open consistently

Kawann Short, DT, Purdue – I am not sure why Short is on this list, he is not good… I prefer Ballard or Guion or even Evans than Short. He has shown nothing in college and will do Squat in the NFL… A much worse version of D Poe

Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State – I don’t mind Rhodes I think he will be a decent CB in the NFL but he will be nothing special. I wouldn’t take him with a first round pick.

MY LIST:
1. Jesse Williams – Absolute beast in the middle. He won’t get many(any) sacks but he will be a hogg(he deserves the 2nd g). He will be another Pat Williams with his size and strength.

2. Jon Hankins – Has the talent to be better than Williams overall but isn’t as sound against the run and double teams, and he also has lapses in effort.

3. Te’o – He could fall with this whole fake girlfriend thing and if he falls, why not grab him?

4. Alec Ogletree – He has a higher ceiling than Te’o and I like him a lot but he could be a problem he was suspended for failing a drug test. But as Bud has argued that Fraziers specialty is straightening out players so there ya go!

5. David Amerson – He should go around 40 but then we would miss out on him. I really REALLY like this guy and think he would give the Vikings a top CB for years to come.

6. Insert WR or DT – This is where allen/woods/williams ect come in, along with Richardson, Jenkins, ect come in…